10 Years Ago
Today is the 10th anniversary of the bomb which killed my cousin Evelyn Baird (27), her man Micheal Morrison (27) and their daughter Michelle (7). They were survived by Darren (9) and lauren (6 weeks) because they'd stayed behind at their grandparents, Bobby and Evelyn, who have cared for them ever since.
None of us have ever been the same.
As it is the 10th anniversary my uncle Bobby, and auntie Evelyn's brother Charlie (who helped pull the bodies out and didn't recognised his own niece and grand niece) have arranged a commenerative service tonight as the church the funeral was held in. At uncle Bobby's insistance no dignataries or politicians have been invited (they were very involved in the months after the bomb but once it stopped being newsworthy they stopped coming, and the family are fed-up with journalists asking stupid questions). The service is for all the people who died over 30 years in the 10 large bombs on the Shankill - uncle Bobby says they all deserve to be remembered.
In the aftermath a group of Protestant gunmen went into a Catholic pub and killed several people in revenge ... one of them was the brother-in-law of one of my mum's friends.
No-one wins.
So say a prayer, or light a candle, or do whatever it is you do. Thank you.
EDIT
I've put up a link, I'll warn you now it is quite political, but it's the only site with photos I could find.
http://www.iraatrocities.fsnet.co.uk/shankill%20bombing.htm This one has a picture of Evelyn at the far right of the pictures of victims, and the funeral picture is of the joint funeral of the three of them.
2nd edit this link is about my family http://www.iraatrocities.fsnet.co.uk/119.htm
also the one about tonight's service http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=456369
None of us have ever been the same.
As it is the 10th anniversary my uncle Bobby, and auntie Evelyn's brother Charlie (who helped pull the bodies out and didn't recognised his own niece and grand niece) have arranged a commenerative service tonight as the church the funeral was held in. At uncle Bobby's insistance no dignataries or politicians have been invited (they were very involved in the months after the bomb but once it stopped being newsworthy they stopped coming, and the family are fed-up with journalists asking stupid questions). The service is for all the people who died over 30 years in the 10 large bombs on the Shankill - uncle Bobby says they all deserve to be remembered.
In the aftermath a group of Protestant gunmen went into a Catholic pub and killed several people in revenge ... one of them was the brother-in-law of one of my mum's friends.
No-one wins.
So say a prayer, or light a candle, or do whatever it is you do. Thank you.
EDIT
I've put up a link, I'll warn you now it is quite political, but it's the only site with photos I could find.
http://www.iraatrocities.fsnet.co.uk/shankill%20bombing.htm This one has a picture of Evelyn at the far right of the pictures of victims, and the funeral picture is of the joint funeral of the three of them.
2nd edit this link is about my family http://www.iraatrocities.fsnet.co.uk/119.htm
also the one about tonight's service http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=456369